Bar Focus
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the property. Fast forward to the Great Depression, the hotel doesn’t survive, and is demolished to become residential housing. And that cottage? Years later it becomes The Raymond, a small quaint restaurant on South Fair Oaks. After 35 years of business,
think fresh orange juice, tonic, plus gin. Those looking for something a little bit more playful may opt for the Honey Nut Old Fashioned, quite obviously named after the cereal and the traditional Old Fashioned cocktail. One can definitely taste the peanut-infused bourbon, there’s also honey and bitters in there. Breakfast of champions. The menu boasts staples including a Mimosa and a Bloody Mary, but with so many whimsical additions like the Horseradish Sour and Peanut Butter Cup, why play it safe? Story by Kat Odell. Location: The Raymond, 1250 S. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena
Photo by Luke Lovell
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n 1886 Walter Raymond built The Raymond Hotel, a grand venue in Pasadena which ultimately suffered a devastating blaze and burned to the ground in 40 minutes. Nevertheless, Raymond rebuilt the hotel, adding a caretaker’s cottage to
The Raymond has upped its cool factor with the addition of 1886, a bar located directly behind the restaurant, also aptly named after the year in which the original Raymond Hotel was built. Part country casual, part industrial, 1886 offers guests a beverage experience curated by mixologists Aidan Demarest and Marcos Tello, both veterans of downtown’s The Edison. Expect six different types of shmancy house-made ice from cube to rectangle, cooling down vintage cocktails with a modern twist. Try the Orange Grove Cocktail, a nod to orange groves which once prevailed throughout Pasadena,